Copyright Newsweek
President Donald Trump has touted the price of a Walmart Thanksgiving dinner as proof that the Republicans are better at tackling consumer prices than the Democrats. In a post on Truth Social, Trump cited how the grocery giant's offer of a basket of products used for the holiday season meal was down by 25 percent compared with the same time last year. Trump used this number to take a swipe at the previous Biden administration as he posted how "AFFORDABILITY is a Republican Stronghold." Why It Matters Trump's statement that the Republican party was better than its rival at supporting Americans worried about the cost of living followed elections that saw Democrats Zohran Mamdani become New York City mayor, Mikie Sherrill become New Jersey's next governor, and Abigail Spanberger win the race for Virginia governor. Vivek Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by Trump in his attempt to be the Republican candidate for Ohio's gubernatorial election next year, said on X that those election losses showed the GOP needed to "focus on affordability" and lay out how it would bring down costs for "electrics, grocery, health care and housing." What To Know Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday night that Walmart had announced prices for Thanksgiving Dinner is now down 25 percent since last year when President Joe Biden was in office. "AFFORDABILITY is a Republican Stronghold. Hopefully, Republicans will use this irrefutable fact!!" Trump wrote. On Thursday morning, he posted that the 2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25 percent lower than the 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart, adding that costs under the Trump administration are "lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas!" Walmart in September announced a "Thanksgiving meal" for 10 people for $39.33—or less than $4 per person. The one-click serving basket, which is available through to Christmas, offered over 20 national and private brand items, including a Butterball turkey for 97 cents per pound, which Walmart said was its lowest price since 2019. The basket includes a variety of vegetables, including cranberries, carrots, corn and beans, as well as stuffing and dinner rolls. Walmart said that the basket, which can be bought online or in stores nationwide, can be delivered straight to the door in as fast as one hour. This time last year, Walmart promoted an "inflation-free" Thanksgiving meal that featured 29 items, which it said served eight people for less than $7 per person. The website Eating Well noted that under this deal, eight people could enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner for $52—or $6.50 per person, which is $2.57 per head more expensive than this year's offer. Walmart did not make a direct comparison between current pricing and sticker prices during the Biden administration, and while the meal baskets are not directly equivalent in item composition, the Thanksgiving deal is cheaper than that offered in 2024. In fact, a comparison of Walmart’s offers shows that its Thanksgiving meal deal this year is 39.54 percent less per person, based on the per-person cost of the headline basket sizes offered—even more of a price cut than Trump claimed. Butterball said in its 2025 Thanksgiving Outlook that 89 percent of Americans planned to celebrate Thanksgiving this year with a group of nine people. Only 28 percent of consumers expected inflation to change their plans this year, down from 53 percent in 2024, while more than half won’t make any changes at all, Butterball said in the report. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday night: "Walmart just announced that Prices for a Thanksgiving Dinner is now down 25 percent since under Sleepy/Crooked Joe Biden, in 2024. AFFORDABILITY is a Republican Stronghold. Hopefully, Republicans will use this irrefutable fact!!" In another post, he said: "2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25 percent lower than 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart. My cost are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the Democrats “affordability” issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!" Butterball said in a statement on September 15: "While inflation remains top of mind, consumers are committed to celebrating Thanksgiving, with only 28 percent of consumers expecting inflation to cause them to celebrate Thanksgiving differently this year." The statement added: "To control costs, 21 percent plan to ask guests to bring part of the meal. Other ways to save include making changes to side dishes (15 percent), non-food items such as paper goods or décor (14 percent) and desserts (12 percent)." What Happens Next Trump's comments on social media highlight how significant the cost of living is likely to remain as a Republican focus following the success of Democrats in this week's regional elections. Ramaswamy's statement also shows that affordability will be a key talking point in the coming months.
